Did you feel any shaking last night? If so, you weren’t alone.
Florida residents are turning to Google, asking if there was an earthquake overnight.
While earthquakes do occur on occasion in Florida, what you felt last night wasn’t an earthquake, at least according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
There was a launch early Tuesday morning from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. SpaceX used a Falcon 9 rocket to send 28 Starlink satellites into orbit.
Was there an earthquake in Florida?
No. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the closest, recent earthquakes to Florida occurred near the U.S. Virgin, Mexico, Texas and New Mexico:
SpaceX sends Starlink satellites into orbit in early-morning launch
SpaceX’s Starlink 10-28 mission launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 4:21 a.m. Tuesday, July 8. A Falcon 9 rocket sent 28 Starlink communications satellites into low-Earth orbit.
➤ SpaceX launch recap of Starlink mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Was there a sonic boom from SpaceX launch?
The rocket was moving on a northeasterly trajectory. No sonic booms were expected in the area, with the first-stage booster landing on the SpaceX drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas out at sea about eight minutes after liftoff.
Does Florida have earthquakes?
Yes, there have been earthquakes in Florida, with most clustered in the northwestern Panhandle.
Other quakes have occurred in the Gulf of Mexico and in Atlantic waters off Florida’s coasts.
There have been 22 earthquakes reported in Florida since 1992, immediately north of the state’s border in Alabama, or off the coast in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The most recent earthquake reported in Florida was a magnitude 1.8 Sept. 3, 2020, west-northwest of Jay in Santa Rosa County.
What’s the largest earthquake recorded in Florida?
According to the University of Florida, geologists agree the largest earthquake ever recorded in Florida happened on Jan. 12, 1879, about 11:45 p.m. It measured 4.4.
“A pair of 30-second tremors, possibly centered in the Palatka area, sent crockery tumbling off shelves and jolted startled residents awake in a large part of north Florida,” UF said.
“According to news accounts, the quake was felt in Cedar Key, Gainesville, Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Tallahassee, among other cities.”
Looking offshore, an even larger earthquake was felt in Florida after a 5.9 quake occurred under the Gulf of Mexico Sept. 10, 2006. It rocked Southwest Florida.
Most recent earthquakes reported in Florida
Eight of largest earthquakes reported for Florida since 1992:
Why aren’t there more earthquakes in Florida?
Florida is among the most geologically stable areas in the United States.
“We have had earthquakes in Florida — and we could have one today — but it’s not as likely as other places,” said Doug Smith, professor of geology and longtime director of the University of Florida’s seismic network in 2000.
He explained earthquakes tend to occur in regions near the boundaries of underground plates or at weaknesses in the plates themselves.
The closest fault line to Florida runs through the Caribbean Sea, just north of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic and south of Cuba toward Guatemala.
Florida does not include any plate boundaries, and the plate the state occupies is very stable, he said, adding there are no recent volcanoes and no none active faults in the state.
What area of Florida is most prone to earthquakes?
A region of North Florida bounded roughly by Jackson County in the west, Nassau County in the east and Volusia and Levy counties in the south appears slightly more likely to experience earthquakes than other parts of the state, Smith said.
The reason is the type of rock. Northern portions of the state have granite, with basalt can be found beneath South Florida, Smith said.
Contributing: Rick Neale, Florida Today
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Was there an earthquake in Florida? About that rumble you felt overnight
Reporting by Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Florida Today
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